Container spinner for beverage mixers



Patented Dec. 8,1942

UNITED STATE CONTAINER L,SPINNER FOB BEVERAGE MIXERS James Kantor, Chicago, lll., assignor to The Liquid Carbonio Corporation, Chicago, IIL, a

corporation of Delaware Application June 14, 194,1, serial No. 398,011

'7 claims. (c1. 259-54) The present invention relates to improvements in machines for oscillating and spinning on its own axis containers for beverages, particularly beverages comprising a syrup and carbonated water mixture.

In order to cause a thorough mixture of the syrup and carbonated water of carbonated beverages, it has been found desirable to tilt the container from an upright to an inverted position and to, while the container is so tilted,vspin the container on its-longitudinal axis. -As av result of this movement, thesyrup and carbonated water f become thoroughly mixed with the development of a minimum of froth on the mixture.

The present invention of the machine relates to an improvement in apparatus for accomplishing this result. p

For the purpose of disclosing the invention, I have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partiallongitudinal sectional view of so much of a mixing machine as is necessary for illustrating my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing more particularly the spinning mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the container supportpost 6 extending upwardly from a bottom arm.

1 and carrying a longitudinally movable supporting post 8 provided at its upper end with an adjustable clamping arm 9. The arm 1 is pivotally supported from the head 3 through the medium of a pair of downwardly extending supporting arms II, mounted upon a shaft I2, in turn supported between a pair of yoke arms I3,

extending forwardly from a securing plate I4,

bolted or otherwise secured to the head, so that the container supporting unit as a whole may be oscillated to repeatedly, if desired, invert and upright the container.

The oscillating movement of the container supporting unit 4 .is controlled by a suitable cam I5 non-rotatably supported from the center post I. I'he bottom arm 1, at its outer end is provided with a roller I6 which rides on the cam I5 and, due to the contour of the cam,'the supporting unit 4 will swing radially with respect to the orbit of rotation of the head 3 under the influence of gravity, tending to tilt the container l supporting unit to a position where the container is in an inverted position. As before mentioned, the contour of the cam I5 may be made to either repeatedly tilt and upright the container or itmay be made so that after thelcontaineris tilted or inverted, the suppvrt and container will travel throughout a fairly long path before it is again uprighted.

The bottom arm of the container support 4 is provided with a rotatable table, on which the container is adapted to rest, which table comprises a hollow cup-like member I1 mounted on a hollow .stem I8 supported in ballbearings I9 mounted in the arm 1. This stem I8, at its lower end, has secured thereon a sleeve 20 supporting at its lower end a hardened steel roller 2I and the sleeve 20 is secured in position on the stem I8 through the medium of a screw 22 which extends through `the bottom, of the sleeve 20 and is threaded into the. bottom of the stem I8.

Located within the coupling member I1 is a vertically movable supporting table l23 which is biased in its raised position through the medium of a coiled spring 24. The table 23 is restrained against over-projection in the cup member I1 by a restraining ring 25.

The upper arm 9 of the container support 4 carries a bottle engaging cone or clamping memr ber 26 which is rotatably mounted in ballbearings 21 arranged in the outer end of the arm 9. The vertically movable rod 8 is biased in a' clamping position to move the cup '26 into clamping engagement with the top of the container through a suitable coiled spring 8 arranged within the post 6 and the raising and lowering of this clamping member 26 to permit the infeed and outfeed of a container to the-support 4 isA controlled by a stationarily mounted cam 21 mounted on a stationary head 28 supported from the center post I. This cam is adapted to 'be engaged by a rollerZS on the bottom end of the post 8 andthe cam is so positioned with respect to the orbit of travel'of the` container support as to, as thecontainer moves to a position to receive a bottle through the medium of the infeed mechanism, raise the arm 9. As soon as` the bottle passes the infeed position, the roller riding off the cam 21 will permit the arm 9 to descend under the influence ofthe spring 8' securely clamping the container in position on the table 23 and the cup-like support Likewise, when the support moves to the delivery position, the roller engaging the cam 21 will which ismc'vable relatively to other. a down-I raise the clamping arm 3, thereby releasing the bottle so that it can be picked up by the outfeed star and removed from the support. Due to the fact that the walls of the retaining ring 25 are slightly tapering,.as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, as the bottle is pushed down on the table 23 throughA the clamping action of the clamping member 2i, the table -23 will give so that the bottom of the bottle coming in contact with the tapered walls of the restraining ring 25 will center the container or bottle on the support and thereby position the bottle in true axial alignment with the rotating parts.

The rotative movement of the unit comprising the cup-like member I1 and the table 23 is imparted through the medium of a friction drive wheel 30 mounted on the end of a drive shaft 3l. This drive wheel is provided with a hardened steel face 32 adapted to be engaged by the driven wheel 2| when the supporting unit is in its inverted position. The shaft 3| is mounted within bearings in a suitable housing 33 supported in the head 3, and this shaft, at its rear end, carries a bevel driving gear 34 which is connected on a driving collar 35 surrounding the shaft 3|. This collar 35 is provided with an elongated groove 3B receiving a spline 31 and the shaft 3| at its rear end is provided with an anti-friction ball 38. The gear 34 is adapted to mesh with a bevel gear 33 supported from a head 40 rotatively mounted on the central standard l and adapted to be rotated through the medium of a sleeve 4| carrying at its lower end a driving gear 42 operated from a suitable driving mechanism. By this arrangement, the shaft 3| is driven at a relatively high rate of speed to impart a fast spinning action to the container.

Due to the fact that when the container is in its upright position, the spinning action should cease, so that the container support may be opened to receive and discharge a container, the shaft 3| is in a more or less retracted position. However, when the container support and its associated container are tilted to the position where the container is inverted, the roller 38 contacting a cam 43 will project the shaft to the` point Where the driving roll 30 will be in a position to be engaged by the driven roll 2|.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mixing apparatus, a rotary table, a container supporting element journaled on said table for tilting movement with respect to said table, said container supporting element having a rotary container supporting member including a substantially horizontally disposed rotary shaft, a friction driven member mounted on said rotary shaft, a rotary drive shaft arranged substantially at right angles to said supporting unit shaft when said supporting unit is in its container receiving position, a. driving disc on said drive shaft, means for driving said drive shaft, and means for engaging said driving disc with said friction driven member when said supporting element is tilted to an inverted position, the axis o'f the tilting movement of saidv table and the axis of rotation of said drive shaft being substantially in the same plane and at right angles to one another. l

2. In a mixing apparatus, a rotary table, a container supporting element journaled on said table for tilting movement, said supporting element comprising upper and lower arms, one of wardly facing container gripper mounted on the upper arm, an .upwardly facing container gripper mounted on the lower arm, said second-mentioned gripper including a shaft, a friction pulley mounted on the lower end of said shaft. a radially disposed drive shaft, a friction drive disc mounted on one endof said drive shaft. means for driving said radially disposed drive shaft. and means' for axially moving said drive shaft to en- Sage said friction disc with the friction drive member .when the container supporting element is moved to inverted position.'

3. In a mixing apparatus, a rotary table, a container supporting element journaled on said table for tilting movement with respect to said table, said element including rotary container clamping elements, one of which is provided with a drive shaft, a hardened driving roller mounted on one end of said shaft, a. driving shaft associated with said supporting element having a friction disc provided with a hardened steel driving surface at one end, means for driving said driving shaft, and means for moving said driving shaft axially, while being driven, and into engagement with said driven roller when the supporting element is moved to an inverted position.

4. In a mixing apparatus, a rotary table, a container supporting element journaled on said table for tilting movement with respect to said table, said element including a bottom container supporting member having a drive shaft, a driving roller mounted at one end of saiddriving shaft, a radially disposed driving shaft, a friction driving roller at one end of said radially disposed driving shaft, a gear at the opposite end of said radially disposed driving shaft, a driving gear meshing with said gear for driving said radially disposed driving shaft at a relatively high rate of speed, and means for axially moving said driving shaft to engage the driving roller thereof with said first-mentioned driving roller when said supporting element is tilted to an inverted position.

5. In a mixing apparatus, a rotary table, a container supporting element journaled on said table for tilting movement with respect to said table, said supporting element including a bottom member having a driving shaft, a friction drive wheel mounted on said driving shaft, a radially disposed driving shaft, a friction .wheel mounted on one end of said radially disposed driving shaft, a driving gear mounted at the opposite end of said radially disposed driving shaft,

a driving gear meshing with said gear for driving said radially disposed shaft at the relatively high rate of speed, and a relatively stationary cam engaging the rear end of said radially disposed driving shaft for axially moving the same to engage the friction drive wheel thereon with the friction drive wheel on said first-mentioned shaft when the support is tilted into an inverted position.

6. In a mixing apparatus, a rotary table, a container supporting element journalled in said table for tilting movement with respect to said,

table, said supporting element including a bottom member having a driving shaft, a friction drivewheel mounted on said driving shaft, a

rotary head mounted coaxially with said table said shaft for engagement with said first-mentioned driving wheel, a driving pinion at the opposite end of said shaft, a driving gear associated with `said pinion for driving the same, and means for moving said second-mentioned driving shaft 5 ,an annular ange intermediate of the ends there- 2,so4,7s4 A 3 tion disc member iixed on said one end of said shaft, said shaft being axially shiftable in the bearing members, a pinion surrounding the opposite end of said shaft and having a spline and slot connection with said shaft permitting said shaft to move axially relatively to the said pinion while being driven thereby and frictional reducing means at the end of the shaft opposite said disc for engagement with means for moving of, bearing members arranged at each end of 10 said shaft axially, a

said sleeve, a shaft extending through said sleeve and mounted -in said bearing members, a fric- J AMES KANTOR.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Pai-,ent No. 25501157514- December- 8, 19kg.

JAMES KANTR.

It'is` hereby certified that error appears in the' printed' specification of the above numbere patent requiring `correction as fdllowsz' Page "first column, line 56V, for "having" read --including--g line 57, for including read -'having; line 58,- strike out "substantially horizontaliy disposed* and insert the same after *a* and before rotary inline 60; and that the said Letters Patent shoul`d be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office,

signed `and sealed this 26th day of January, A. D. 19M.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

